‘Veni Vidi Vici’: The Sundance Film That Wants to Eviscerate the Rich

PARK CITY, Utah—No matter what progressives pronounce on t-shirts and social media, the rich can’t be eaten because they’re society’s true apex predators, eager to not only feast upon those beneath them but to afterwards arrogantly laugh and sneer at anyone who dares object. Such is the message of Veni Vidi Vici, Austrian directors Daniel Hoes and Julia Niemann’s satire about the super-wealthy, whose message is made during its opening minutes and then over and over again, to ever-diminishing results, for its remainder. Although handsomely mounted and occasionally chilling, it’s the cinematic equivalent of a one-note tweet.

Per the film’s Julius Caesar-inspired title, the Maynards have come, seen and conquered, and at the outset of Veni Vidi Vici—which premiered Jan. 18 at this year’s Sundance Film Festival—there’s nothing standing in the way of their continued rule. On a winding road, a bicyclist is suddenly shot by a distant sniper, and once the second bullet finishes him off, two men appear. The younger, Amon (Laurence Rupp), is dressed for cycling and takes the deceased’s bike. His bald accomplice, butler Alfred (Markus Schleinzer), stays behind to cover up the mess. All of this takes place in the bright midday sun, with other bikers and motorists passing by without giving the scene a single glance, and thus it’s no surprise that as he speeds down the hill, Amon lets out a triumphant “whoo hoo!” Despite the extremeness of his transgression, he’s untouchable.

Amon’s love for “the most dangerous game” is in tune with his business ethos. At present, he’s working to create a new complex in an unspoiled rural valley that will serve as Europe’s largest battery manufacturer. Pulling off this endeavor means screwing over his mentor Carl (Manfred Böll), but Amon doesn’t hesitate, since ruthless conquest and betrayal are par for life’s course. With profits to be earned, the local government minister is on board with this plan, regardless of the fact that she suspects, along with a colleague, that Amon is the serial killer terrorizing the region. A gamekeeper (Haymon Maria Buttinger) catches Amon in the homicidal act and yet is dismissed by local authorities, driving him to despair. Also anguished about Amon’s invincibility is Volker (Dominik Warta), a journalist whose attempts to convince his ex-wife Regina (Andrea Wenzl) to publish an exposé about the magnate goes nowhere, with Regina shrugging Volker off as a “flat-earther.”

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